The color of butterflies
by Danym
Summary: Grissom and Sara celebrate their birthdays. [GS]


The color of butterflies

By Dany

Rating: PG

Author's note: This is set in season three, a year after "Identity crisis". It is a response for a challenge posted at YTDaW by Eurydice1980.

A Geek Birthday Challenge!  
(Grissom's birthday is on 08/17 and Sara's birthday is on 09/16.)  
- Both birthdays has to be included in the story.  
- Write if they give each other a present and give the reason why they do or don't.  
- Explain the choice of the presents.  
- And how they give the presents to each other.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.

xxxxx

It was September 1st and everyone on nightshift was invited to Grissom's house.

After the whole Millander fiasco everyone in the lab knew Grissom's birthday. And where years before his birthday had gone unnoticed before - for which he had been immensely grateful - this year everyone had known. He had gotten well-wishes and benevolent looks every time someone walked passed him, but that would have been the end of it if it hadn't been for Catherine.

After his "near brush with death" - as she had called it - on his last birthday she had decided that he should celebrate it this year with a big party. How exactly she had roped him into saying yes, he still didn't know.

Catherine had cornered him at every possible moment for almost two weeks before he finally caved. He had by then decided that a couple of hours of socializing with his colleagues would be the lesser evil compared to the mood Catherine would be in for the next year if he didn't comply.

What he hadn't known was that the party was to take place at his house and that basically everyone from the lab was invited.

And now he was standing amongst his colleagues, trying to find a way to escape this circus. Why had he ever agreed to this?

Grissom wasn't the only one who was suffering. This was not only a birthday party for him. The people from the Crime Lab were also celebrating Sara Sidle's birthday.

Grissom's birthday was on August 17th and Sara's on September 16th and someone found it funny to meet in the middle to celebrate the birthdays of the two most private people in the lab.

So, on the other end of the room there was someone who needed to be rescued too - Sara.

And just like her supervisor and friend she didn't know how she had gotten involved in this. In her case, it had all been Warrick's fault.

He had first talked her into doing something for her upcoming birthday, and then he had convinced her it would be a great idea to join in Grissom's party. And although it was technically Grissom's and her party, she hadn't had the chance to exchange one word with him.

At this moment Greg was going all out explaining the purpose of his present. It was one of these stupid party toys - a pocket polygraph. The young lab tech rambled about how it worked and how she could use it to hook up with a nice guy. Of course, he didn't forget to add that he would love to help her with it.

Sara just nodded and smiled without really listening. Her eyes would stray too often, trying to meet Grissom's. She saw him glancing towards the back of the house, and she figured he was plotting an escape to the backyard. If he made an exit maybe they finally would have the chance to talk.

Once Catherine wasn't looking, he slipped through a corridor to the back. Now it was her time to make a move. Greg was just making a pause to pump some air into his lungs, and Sara jumped in. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and left a disappointed looking Greg behind.

No lights were on when she opened the back door. Sara could feel he was out here, though. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw him standing at the far end of the yard.

Just when she was thinking about going back in and leaving him his space, he turned to her and called out her name. Sara made her way over to him and greeted him with a simple, "Hey!"

"Too crowded?" he asked her, curios of her motives for following him.

"Yeah, same for you, I guess." She smiled, but he couldn't see it in the dark. She wondered how they could be so alike in many aspects and so different in others. What she was planning to do now was more in the different category.

In her pocket she fumbled with the small token she had chosen as a symbol of her birthday present. She bet he didn't even have a present for her, but she didn't really expect anything from him. That's just how he was.

"Could we…go somewhere with better light?" she asked because she wanted him to see her present.

He hesitated, not wanting to leave the safe haven the dark was offering. "Please," she continued when she could sense his reluctance, "I have a present for you."

He lifted his head, but his expression was hidden in the dark. Now Sara wished even more they were standing under a light.

"Ok, let's go over there," Grissom pointed to a spot near the door where Sara could make out a lamp. With a flick of his wrist the light went on, and after a short moment of blindness they could finally see each other.

Sara smiled. Seeing him just did that to her. She fumbled some more in her pocket before gathering all her courage and pulling it out. It was a small artificial butterfly, shimmering in various bright colors.

Grissom's brows lifted in confusion. The butterfly was not real and its proportions were completely off.

"Happy birthday Grissom," Sara beamed. "Turn it around," she added when she handed it over to him.

He did and was even more surprised when he saw the underside was covered in paper.

"I found this on the net and thought you might like it," Sara stuttered, nervous that he wouldn't like it or that he had already seen it. He might think that it was unscientific and ridiculous.

"It's…" Sara's heart fell. "Thank you. I…I really like it," his voice was so sincere that she smiled again and relief flooded her.

Grissom was actually touched at her thoughtfulness. It was a voucher for two tickets for a small animal park an hour outside of Vegas. "It's a very small park and they only have exotic animals, mostly birds. But the add said that there is also a huge habitat for butterflies. According to them it's the biggest of its kind in this area," she explained, proud of her thorough research.

He was overwhelmed. Just as he was about to say more, the door opened and Catherine emerged. "Hey you two. It's not nice to hide from your own party." She pulled on their elbows and steered them inside again.

Sara was enchanted.

Everywhere her eyes wandered were bright colors fluttering through the air. Butterflies were all around, and Sara was filled with pride and joy that Grissom had chosen her to share this with. Never could she have imagined the beauty of this by reading about it on the net, and she was even gladder now that she had chosen this as his present.

After Catherine had shooed them back in they hadn't talked about his present until yesterday. He had come up to her after shift and asked her if she had any plans for the day. She had told him that she was free, not remembering that it was her birthday. And then he had asked here to come out here with him.

When she had picked out his present she hadn't really thought about the second ticket. Her only thought had been that it would be a perfect place for him to retreat to. But he had asked her to come with him. On her birthday!

Reemerging from her musings she felt him coming up behind her. That telltale smile graced her features again. Before she could turn around she felt him coming up close and lift his arms up around her. Her eyes focused on the small object he was holding up.

In Grissom's hands was a silver necklace with a butterfly pendant. The butterfly was silver too, but the wings were colored with red stones. For a brief moment she wondered if it was real, but then discarded the thought because that would be way too expensive. But in the back of her mind, she knew Grissom didn't do anything halfway.

"You like it?" His breath was close to her ear and she shivered.

She nodded silently, and he smiled into her hair, fastening it for her.

"In case you're wondering, I bought this almost two moth ago with you in mind. It just seemed so you. A classic understated beauty. But in light of your birthday present it seemed even more fitting."

His closeness made the butterflies take up residence in her stomach, and his breath made goosebumps rise all over body.

Slowly she turned, wanting to see his face and read his eyes. She didn't reckon with his inability to move due to her proximity so she didn't expect him to stand so close.

Their faces were now only millimeters apart, and the lure of the butterflies were to great to resist for either of them. Their lips met, and in that instant everything around them seemed even brighter than before.

The end


End file.
